


Soft & Sweet

by zimbunny (bugsprout)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Awkward Flirting, Flowers, Fluff, Future Fic, Lardo/Shitty are Engaged, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 17:38:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7115770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugsprout/pseuds/zimbunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a career-ending injury and a newfound interest in plants, retired pro hockey star Jack Zimmermann settles down and opens a florist’s. Eric Bittle owns a successful bakery and one day his best friends tell him they’re going to have their Big Day. What wedding is complete without a few flowers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soft & Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> I’m a self indulgent sap & weddings have been on the brain since my mom just got re-married. Mostly I just wanted to see Florist!Jack :) enjoy this hc that got out of hand.

It’s been years since all of their Samwell graduations, but Bitty, Lardo, and Shitty are still as close as ever. Bitty owns a small bakery thats very successful that Lardo works at a few days a week. When she tells Bits that she and Shitty are finally going to make it “legal and everything” after dating for around 10 years, Bitty offers to cater and host everything. He has a plan to make a wedding cake that fits the love he has for them & their joyous day and won’t really take no for an answer. Lardo makes him promise to not get too carried away. Shitty encourages him to.

The cake has to be simple but still fit their tastes. It can’t be boring; a wedding cake of that quality needs a beautiful wedding topper and nothing beats live flowers.

Bitty does some research and finds a nice florist in the area. It’s only been in business for awhile but all the reviews he’s found have been really positive & there’s a couple photos of the outside and it's really quite a cute shop. He gives it a call in the morning hoping to go over his plans for the cake-topper and see if what he wants is doable. He’s a little shocked when he hears the voice on the other end of the line, all deep yet still so soft. He discusses some of his wishes with the florist for a bit and they schedule a meeting to go over the arrangement and colors.

The photos don’t do the shop justice because walking into it is like walking straight into a fairy garden. The smell of fresh flowers gently wafts through the air and gives Bitty a similar feeling to walking into his own shop in the early morning, the smell of yesterday’s bread still lingering in the air, but not overwhelming.

“Be with you in a minute!” the same voice from his phone call a few days ago rings out from the back. Eric is the only customer in the shop.

“Take your time I'm in no rush, hon” he calls out, all sweet southern politeness.

Eric walks slowly through the shop, weaving between the display shelves stacked with some small simple prearranged bouquets in vases. He leans in to smell some of the flowers that he recognizes, white daisies like the ones he has growing in his windowboxes. Looking around the shop makes him feel sort of giddy, like he’s been invited into a forbidden forest that only a few have seen. There are plants everywhere and the place is obviously well cared for. It makes him smile, and reminds him of his own shop again.

A sound startles bitty and he turns to find a shockingly large man moving around in the back holding a couple boxes. He moves a little awkwardly, like he’s still getting used to the layout. Bitty smiles at the thought of him gently knocking into things because for whatever reason, it’s endearing to him.

The man looks about the same age as Bitty, maybe a little older and he’s handsome. Actually, he’s very handsome. Dark short-cropped hair that flips a little at the end and droopy blue eyes that Eric can only describe as soft. Bitty shifts his weight a bit and flushes when he notices he’s been staring at the shopkeeper without saying anything for a good minute, and he’s been looking back with a slightly confused expression.

“Oh! Hi! Sorry I zoned out on you, hi I’m Eric Bittle? We spoke on the phone a few days ago about a wedding cake-topper?” Eric yammers nervously, embarrassed he was staring so blatantly when he’s on the job. He silently curses himself for being distracted by a pretty face when he needs to focus on Lardo and Shitty’s big day.

The florist just smiles, again in a way that can only be described as soft, and extends his hand.

“Jack Zimmermann, nice to meet you. I remember, you wanted to come in person before talking details, right?” Eric doesn’t know why, but the cute florist’s name sounds like one he should know. They talk out the details of the ceremony, Bitty making sure Jack understands just how important it is to get the right feeling for the cake-topper. The flowers need to coordinate with a few of Lardo’s sculptures, which are being used to decorate the small side-yard of Bitty’s bakery. Eric brought photos for reference, and he shows Jack the sculpture that they think they’re choosing for the centerpiece and where they’re being placed in the patio space. He emphasizes how crucial the arrangement is since the bride is an artist after all. This wedding needs to work aesthetically, so the decorations all need to flow or she’ll be unhappy and Bitty won’t accept that. 

“This is a pretty important wedding, eh? Well, I guess I’d want my wedding day to be perfect too. It’s good that you’re so involved in the planning. Anyway, we can definitely do what you guys want, no problem. ” Jack laughs a little oddly, like he has to force it out. He rubs his hand through his hair and smiles kind of empty. 

Bitty is a little confused at his phrasing.

“What?”

“… Your wedding?” Jack prods.

“My… Wedding– Me? No!! No, honey. No. I’m just catering it. My friends are the ones getting married, not me.” Eric is flustered and a little shocked at how this misunderstanding even happened, but he’s ready to move on from the awkwardness as soon as possible.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to assume. It’s just, you mentioned it was a small reception and the way you were talking about the decorations made me think it was yours,” Jack appears composed apart from the strain in his voice and the light blush dusting his cheeks, “You seemed really excited, is all.” He gives Eric the softest apologetic smile and Bitty feels his chest tighten a bit. Lord.

Eric’s properly infatuated at this point by this, frankly, gorgeous man who’s smiling so earnestly at him in a florist shop, like this is some kind of plot to a romance movie.

“Well, if anything I’m a little glad. That it’s not your wedding, I mean.” Jack admits, still smiling but avoiding Eric’s eyes. He’s definitely redder than before and he looks almost like he’s uncomfortable. He’s still smiling though. It’s very small, and almost to himself more than Eric. 

Eric can’t be sure, but he thinks he’s being flirted with. Although, he’s pretty sure. Ah. Maybe this is some kind of romance movie.

All he can manage is a quiet “Oh,” before a ring at the front of the shop startles them both. Jack looks at Eric. It’s a bit of an odd situation and the normal social cues don’t seem appropriate at this point. Eric nods understandingly, knowing too well that customers come in at the worst of times. Jack greets the customer and after a few words shows her to a corner of the shop. It gives Eric enough time to compose himself and figure out what just actually happened.

He came to talk about flower arrangements for Shitty and Lardo. He did not come to get charmed by a cute muscular man’s embarrassed flirting. No, he sure didn’t. But that’s exactly what happened.

After he finishes checking out the other customer and thanks her for stopping by, Jack walks slowly toward Bitty, a little unsure of what to do. When their eyes meet, Bitty feels all his composure leave him once again. Jack just smiles again, soft and apologetic.

“Sorry,” he says, the softness reaching his voice now too. It makes Eric hurt inside. Jack begins to write up Eric’s order and asks for him to leave contact information and details about the date of the wedding.

Now Eric’s never been much of one to take risks, but he figures it’s now or never. He’s still a little confused by everything that happened, and if he misread the situation he’ll deal with the consequences later. He needs to do this before the moment passes.

While Jack is busy, Eric quickly scribbles a little note with the words “don’t be sorry, call me,” along with his personal phone number. He leaves it on top of the order form and plans his escape. Deep inhale.

“Well, thanks for your time! I’ve gotta run, but I left all my information so don’t hesitate to call. Have a nice day!” Eric practically trips over his own words as he’s leaving the shop, face burning. He can hear Jack calling out a scrambled goodbye, obviously startled by Bitty’s quick exit. But he’s too nervous to look back even if it means being a bit rude.

  


* * *

  


Eric walks into his bakery, still pretty strung out from his sudden burst of confidence. He spots Lardo at the counter and feels a little better. Luckily its their slow time right now so they’ll be able to chat a bit.

He tells her that their plans for the flower arrangements will work out no problem and is rewarded with an almost imperceptible relaxing of her shoulders and a smile. Bitty’s glad he can take some of the pressure off. He gets straight to the point and tells her everything that happened. At least one of them will be able to laugh at this situation.

“Hey uh. So do we know a Jack Zimmermann? That’s his name. It sounded familiar so I thought maybe he went to Samwell with us?”

Lardo stares at Eric, her eyes a little wide and snorts.

“Bits. That’s because he’s Jack Zimmermann, retired hockey player Jack Zimmermann. You’re telling me, not only did retired NHL Jack Zimmermann flirt with you, but he’s also doing the flower arrangements for my wedding? Bits, I know it’s been awhile since you picked up a hockey stick, but damn. Don’t you watch the news?” 

At this point she can hardly stop her giggles. Bitty’s a little dumbfounded. Yes, he does recall something about a Jack Zimmermann retiring due to an injury. And yes, he does recall reading an article where he mentioned something about taking an interest in gardening. He’s been a little distracted it seems, by many things recently.

“Oh,” is all he can seem to manage again before he has to cover his face and internally scream. Lardo gently pats his back with one hand and stifles her giggles with the other. After a moment, she moves to get Eric and herself a cup of coffee. Lardo gently nudges Bitty to sit down and hands him his cup. They drink it quietly together and Lardo tends to the occasional customer who walks in.

Eric has calmed down immensely just in time to be startled by a short buzzing in his pocket. He opens his phone and his chest tightens when he sees an unknown number.

_Hi. I know your note said to call, but I hope a text works too :~)_

Followed by another one reading:

_It’s Jack, by the way._

Bitty squeezes his phone to his chest and smiles, his face surely pink. It’s been quite a day.


End file.
